Improvement in washing-machines



' Zn-z e 21, lo 715' mega Patented Nov. 28,1871.

D BRADLEY &A. DONEY Improvement in Washing Machines.

UNITED STATES PATENT Qrrron.

DAVID BRADLEY AND ASA DONEY, OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,323, dated November 28, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DAVID BRADLEY and ASA DONEY, of Saratoga Springs, in the county of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved WashingMachine; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved washingmachine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a top-plan view with the reciprocating rubber removed. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the reciprocating rubber; and Fig. 5 is a detached sectional view of the endless rubbing-apron.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Our invention has for its object to provide an improved washing-machine which shall be sim' ple and economical in construction, and perform its work in a more thorough and efficient manner than those now in use. To this end the invention consists: First, in the combination of a continuously-moving rubbing-belt or chain of rollers, with a reciprocating rubbing-board, both driven from the same shaft and adapted to be reversed for the purpose of washing both sides of the same article without removing the latter from the machine; it consists, further, in the provision of certain locking mechanism, by the operation of which the reciprocating rubber and the rubbing-belt are moved simultaneously, or the rubber operated independently of the belt; it consists, lastly, in the construction and combination of "arious parts, as we will now proceed to describe.

In the accompanying drawing, A is a rectangular suds-box or tub constituting the body of the machine, and mounted upon legs B in the usual manner. It is provided upon its under side with a suitablyarranged soap-drawer, G, and at one end with a spout or faucet, D, by which the water may be discharged when necessary. E is an endless belt or chain of rubbing-rollers, mounted in-an inclined position within the tub, upon the transverse rollers F G. The upper roller G is fluted to receive the rollers of the apron for the purpose of operating the latter, while the lower roller F acts simply as a guide for the apron. H is an inclined guide-board secured to the sides of the tub, within the apron and between the rollers F G. I is a transverse crankshaft, having its bearings upon or in the sides of the tub, near one end, and connected, by a pitman, J, to the reciprocating rubbing-board K, which rests upon the upper surface of the endless belt of rollers. The pitman is hinged or pivoted to the upper surface of the rubbing-board at the center, so that the edges of the latter shall bear equally upon the rubbing-rollers. The under surface of the rubbing-board is provided with any suitable arrangement of corrugations, although we prefer to use the angular arrangement shown in Fig. 4. Motion is communicated to the reciprocating rubbing-board and the endless rubbing-a-pron by means of the gear-wheels L M, the former HfllXGdtO the end of the crankshaft Ioutside the tub, and the latter mounted loosely upon the shaft of the fluted roller G, and

provided with a suitable crank-arm or wrist-pin,

O. P is a small toothed wheel affixed firmly to the shaft of the fluted roller G outside of the gear-wheel M, and is adapted to engage a pawl, Q, pivoted to the face of said gear-wheel. By this arrangement, when the pawl and wheel P are engaged, the fluted roller is operated to drive the endless rubbing-apron as well as the reciprocating rubber, but when disengaged the reciprocating rubber only is driven.

The operation of our improved machine is as follows: The clothes to be washed are held upon the endless rubbing-apron by means of an elastic band or cord, R, affixed to one of the rollers, one end of the garment being placed beneath the cord, while the opposite end is left free, as shown in Fig. 3. The gear-wheel M is then looked upon its shaft by means of the pawl and toothed wheel P, and the machine set in motion by turning the wheel M to the right. This movement communicates acontinuous motion to the endless belt of rollers, and a rapid reciprocating motion to the rubber, the rollers carrying the clothes up the inclined guide-board H, while the rubber acts upon them during their passage. The upper surface of the guide-board is formed or provided with convex corrugations or slats over which the rollers of the apron move for the purpose of imparting to the latter a rapid undulating orrising andfalling movement. In addition, therefore, to the rubbing action of the rollers and rubber, a pounding action is produced by which the clothes are more thoroughly cleansed. The guide-board is further formed with a series of longitudinal grooves or channels by which the Water expressed from the clothes is conducted down into the tub. By reversing the motion of the endless belt of rollers, and by simply turnin g the clothes over Without removing them from the elastic cord, the reciprocating rubber acts upon the opposite side of such clothes, so that, without changing any portion of the machinery, a garment can be thoroughly washed upon both sides. If, under certain circumstances, the action of the reciprocating rubber becomes necessary for a greater length of time upon any particular garment, or upon any special portion of the same, the motion of the endless belt of rollers is readily arrested by disengaging the pawl from the toothed wheel P. This arrangement adapts the clothes to be held in a fixed position while being subjected to the action of the reciprocating rubber. One end of the suds-box may be closed by a cover, S, if desired, though this is not absolutely essential.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. In a washing-machine, an endless belt of rubbing-rollers and a reciprocating rubber, when the former is adapted to impart motion to the clothes or to hold them in a fixed position, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with the endless belt of rubhing-rollers, the holding device for the clothes, by which they are adapted for reversal upon the rollers to receive the action of the reciprocating rubber upon both sides, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. In combination with the endless belt of rollers and the reciprocating rubber, the corrugated inclined guide-board H, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

4:. In combination with the gear-Wheel M and the shaft of the endless rubbing-apron, the toothed wheel 1? and pawl Q, whereby said apron is adapted to be thrown in and out of operation during the movements of the reciprocating rub ber, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

DAVID BRADLEY. ASA DONEY. Witnesses:

L. B. PUTNAM,

JOHN VAN RENSSELAER. (91) 

